News

Mollema wins in Tour de Suisse

Bauke Mollema has won Sunday's first stage of the Tour de Suisse. The Dutchman of Blanco attacked in the last kilometer uphill and outpaced leader Ryder Hesjedal after which he finished solo.

The Canadian still managed to come in fourth. Matthias Frank of BMC seized the second spot, while Thibaut Pinot of FDJ had to settle for third.

After his victory in the prologue Cameron Meyer (Orica-Green Edge) is still leading in the general classification. Hesjedal moved into the second slot, while Mollema is now eighth.

Rachel and Gee Atherton take a double World Cup Victory at Fort William

The GT Factory Racing team put in a sensational weekend’s riding culminating in a double World Cup victory for the awesome Athertons with Gee setting a new course record of 4:36.72 and Rachel absolutely smashing it, putting a clear 10 seconds into the rest of the field with her time of 5:08.84
It was an emotional victory for the team – not only their first joint World Cup victory since 2010 but an emphatic end to Rachel’s run of disappointing second places on the course that she has called her nemesis. Emotions at the other extreme for young Taylor Vernon who took first in Saturday’s junior seeding only to suffer a mechanical in the top section on his finals run. Marc Beaumont posted a solid 11th spot in the mens elite to top of the weekend for the team.
The sun shone all weekend which meant the track was fast, loose and blown out. Taylor was up first and was last to start. Everything seemed to be going to plan when he was fastest at the first split but disaster struck when his rear tyre punctured, leaving him to roll down the hill to the groans of a sympathetic crowd. Taylor said ”I am gutted but it was no-ones fault, sometimes stuff just happens. “

In the women’s race Great Britains’s Manon Carpenter put in an amazing run to steal the hot seat from Emile Ragot with a great 5:18.985, even more impressive given that she was fighting food poisoning on Friday.
Rachel was last down having qualified fastest in Saturdays qualification round. She didn't disappoint the record Fort William crowd when she went quickest at all three interval times, breaking the timing beam on the finish line she set an amazing 5.08.84 which set her winning margin to a massive 10 seconds. In her race run Rachel said “ It felt sketchy from the start – there were loads of places where I was half an inch off my line and skidding – it felt awful. I was convinced I’d thrown it away, I couldn’t believe it when I can through the finish and saw the time, and everyone was going wild for me. I made a sign for the podium because I want to say a massive thank you to all of the fans for sticking by me, and to GT for the brilliant new Fury and all of the sponsors who really work us, and to Dan Brown and Lundy and the team, I felt so relaxed this weekend, right up to my run everything went so smooth.Thanks.”
The podium in the Men’s Elite was always going to be hard fought with 6 or 7 riders qualifying within seconds of each other. The crowd went absolutely crazy as Brook MacDonald took the lead with 4.37.854, Steve Smith following just 0.2 behind. 'Sick' Mick Hannah was 0.2 up on Brook at the first split but he lost time to sit in third behind Smith until Sam Blenkinsop toppled him by 0.4. Gee was last but one to race and he positively flew down the track – despite a small bobble with a rock that damaged his chain, he was 1.2 seconds up at the first split and the crowd went crazy, at split two he was still 1.129 up and he finished on a lightning hot 4.36.712 – breaking his own course record. Only Danny Hart remained but he couldn’t get close to the top guys finishing 7th with 4.39.56.

Gee said “I am so stoked, I Loved that. When I saw Rachel’s results I knew I had it all to do – I’m really proud of her , thanks everyone.”
Rounding off the weekend in style GT Factory Racing also took the team award and the leaders jerseys in both the mens and women's categories. The World Cup show now rolls on to round two next weekend where we return to another venue where the Athertons have managed the double, Val di Sole, Italy.

Women's Results

1 Rachel Atherton GT FACTORY RACING 5:08.846
2 Manon Carpenter MADISON SARACEN DOWNHILL +10.139
3 Emmeline Ragot LAPIERRE GRAVITY REPUBLIC +11.373
4 Myriamn Nicole COMMENCAL / RIDING ADDICTION +15.450
5 Morgane Charre MS MONDRAKER TEAM +16.646

Mens Results

1 Gee Atherton GT FACTORY RACING 4:36.712
2 Brook Mcdonald TREK WORLD RACING +1.142
3 Steve Smith DEVINCI GLOBAL RACING +1.361
4 Samuel Blenkinsop LAPIERRE GRAVITY REPUBLIC +1.489
5 Michael Hannah HUTCHINSON UR +1.968

Degenkolb claims Giro stage win

John Degenkolb won the fifth stage of the Giro. The Team Argos-Shimano rider travelled to Italy with one main goal: a stage win. In the fifth stage with finish in Matera the German succeeded in his mission.

In a rather bizarre final Degenkolb claimed the victory. After a pile-up in the last corner had shattered the bunch, Marco Canola was all alone on the straight end to the finish. Thanks to a long and powerful effort Degenkolb arrived just in time to overtake the Italian and obtain the win.

“My lead-out man crashed along with some other guys," said Degenkolb of the hectic finale. "There was one guy in front. I looked back and there was just Viviani behind. Then I went full gas to the finish to catch the Bardiani rider. In the end I couldn't see, I was so empty. It was a great job from my team. We had the confidence and we took the responsibility. It was really hard in the end. It would have been not that hard but I had to suffer a lot to get to the finish today."

Marcel Kittel wins Scheldeprijs for the second time in a row

Marcel Kittel has successfully defended his title in the Scheldeprijs. The German Team Argos-Shimano rider defeated three-time winner Mark Cavendish and Barry Markus in a bunch sprint.

Last year Kittel also triumphed in the Belgian town of Schoten.

Blanco leader Theo Bos hoped for a short finish, but finished only eighth.

Marianne Vos: 'This one counts'

Marianne Vos was overjoyed with her ​​victory in the Tour of Flanders for women. It was the first win for the Dutchwoman in Flanders. "That this is my first one, gives much satisfaction", Vos said.

"I may be Olympic and world champion and have won some cyclo races, but this is Flanders. That counts."

The Rabobank-Liv/Giant rider was the strongest of a breakaway of four. "It didn’t feel like I was the strongest of the four of us, but I knew I could win by a sprint. Longo Borghini was not the biggest competitor, Johansson and Van Dijk were, I had to keep an eye on them. I did everything to make it a sprint. I didn’t have another choice.”

Durbridge wins Sarthe time trial

Orica-GreenEdge rider Luke Durbridge has won Wednesday’s second ride of the second stage of the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe. The Australian triumphed in a 6,8 kilometer time trial.

Bob Jungels of RadioShack finished second in the same time. Durbridge’s teammate Cameron Meyer recorded the third time.

With his time trial win Durbridge is the new overall leader.

Nacer Bouhanni claimed the win in Wednesday's morning sprint stage.

Kittel gives new PRO saddles 1st WT victory!

German sprinter Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano) took stage two of Paris-Nice with an uphill finish. As Kittel was unable to sprint in the first group on Monday, he seeked for revange after a 200km stage from Vimory to Cerilly. Cannondale rider Elia Viviani was second just before Leigh Howard of Orica-GreenEdge.

Marcel Kittel is riding one of the new PRO Saddles; Turnix, the PRO Vibe handlebar and seatpost and the super strong PRO Vibe Sprint stem to handle his huge forces..

Sven Nys World Champion Cyclecross

Last Sunday Sven Nys took his second World title in his career in Louisville.

Vos again World Champion Cyclecross

Marianne Vos has for the fifth time in a row secured herself of the world title cyclocross. In the American city of Louisville the Dutchwoman remained minutes ahead of Katherine Compton and Lucia Chainel-Lefevre who took silver and bronze.

Sanne Van Paassen finished fifth. Ellen Van Loy was the best Belgian with a ninth place.

For Vos it's already her tenth world title. She was twice crowned as global best on the track, six times in the field and twice on the road.

Slagter records first victory for Blanco

Tom Jelte Slagter has on Thursday afternoon (local time) in the third stage of the Tour Down Under recorded the first victory for the Blanco Pro Cycling Team (formerly Rabobank). The Dutchman also did excellent business for the overall victory.

On the awkward arrival in Stirling Slagter kept big names like Matthew Goss (Orica-Green Edge) and world champion Philippe Gilbert (BMC) behind. They finished second and third.

In the general classification Slagter is now second, five seconds behind leader Thomas Gerraint. In the battle for the youth jersey, the 23-year-old Dutchman leads. The Tour Down Under ends Sunday.

Team Argos-Shimano on the new PRO-saddles in 2013

Team Argos-Shimano will ride the new PRO-saddles in 2013. Check out this movie and see an impression of how the Pro's choose their new saddle and a short background story of the developing process from the PRO-engineers!

Rabobank becomes Blanco Pro Cyclingteam

Until the team finds a new head sponsor the former Rabobank cycling formation, will ride under the name Blanco Pro Cycling Team. This the formation announced in press release on Thursday.

Richard Plugge will be the new general manager of the team. The Dutchman was communication manager at Rabobank and will take over Harold Knebel’s position at December 31.

First and second for GT Factory Racing in Asia Pacific Downhill Challenge

Dan and Marc, both part of the PRO/Shimano sponsored team GT Racing, triumphed in Cikole, West Java yesterday despite the wettest conditions that either of them has ever raced.
Asia’s No.1 Downhill Race was part of the country’s 6th Annual bicycle day and attracted an ecstatic Indonesian crowd.
Dan’s 2012 season has focused on the new discipline of Enduro, culminating in a win at Superenduro Pro 6 at Finale Ligure, the climax of the Enduro season. His Asia Pacific victory has particularly pleased the fans as it represents his first Downhill podium since his catastrophic neck injury in 2010.

Sven Nijs wins again the Koppenbergcross

Last Thursday Sven Nijs won again at the Koppenbergcross, his ninth win of this race!

DI2 seatposts coming up, PRO R&D is working on the last details!

First DI2-ready seatpost samples arrived @ PRO R&D. After a double check with the 2D drawings some small adjustments to be done, but the system works already very nice! Only 6 to 8 grams additional weight to the seatpost, but the overall weight reduction of internal vs external is about 20 grams. Needles to say that hiding the battery gives a nice and cleaner appearance.